Why Training With a Friend/Crew Matters

August 04, 2018

Alright, #262squad, here we are. Today is Day 1 of “official” Marathon training!

I have butterflies in my stomach and anticipatory soreness everywhere (that’s for sure most likely a real thing, right?). Even with that drama happening, I KNOW I’m ready to tackle this. How? Because with my crew (and all of you joining as part of the #262squad), nothing can stop me. Here’s some backstory on how I got here.

A year ago I attempted to run my first Marathon (THE Marathon, in Athens, Greece, no less). It was my little sister’s big idea, and I loved the sound of it. As I quickly found out, loving something in concept is far different than in execution. Spoiler alert: I didn’t get the training done, I didn’t take the distance seriously enough, and I let excuses win, so I switched to the 10K at the last minute. I have yet to tackle the full Marathon distance and have thought about it every day since.

What’s different now? A year ago I thought I would just do it on my own. I’m the over-achieving type, and thought I could get it done because that’s what I do. Though my sister did her best to train me from the other side of the world, I foolishly thought that sheer will would prevail. And the hard lesson I learned on November 12, 2017, has rung even more true over the past three months: that there is SOOOOO much more to running a Marathon and I could not be doing this without the proper commitment and support. So, if a new distance or challenge is in your sights, below are a few thoughts on why having a crew (near or far) is key to your success.

Stronger together

While running for myself is great and all, at the end of the day I’m really good at loving myself for picking coffee and PJs over my run. “I deserve it, right? I did have a long week. And I’ve been working hard, burning the candle at both ends. I mean, I wouldn’t want to OVER do it…”

But knowing that others are counting on, joining with, and following me has created a strong sense of responsibility and accountability. I know my pacer Andy and coach Chris are following my training (along with the rest of ma’ #262squad!). Knowing that this training is for more than just me pushes me during the times I can’t push myself. And if you can meet your crew in-person for a run, you won’t want to trade those miles of catching-up for sitting on the couch.

Get informational and emotional support

I know I’ve just begun this process, but I’ve already started learning all about things like getting fitted for new shoes, what are compression socks, CHAFING, and don’t even get me started on the nutrition and hydration.

I know my squad will share in the ups and downs of my workouts, training journey, and the stress of fitting it in, all while sharing information along the way. Shared joy is doubled joy, and shared sorrow is halved sorrow, so having a supportive crew gives me (and will give you) the right outlet to stay grounded and engaged!

Motivation for days

We all have that friend in our life who is the studio queen at pilates, multi-marathoner, yoga goddess. Don’t be intimidated to reach out to this friend to get in a workout together. Soak in all that positive mojo, the knowledge, and energy! This person likely struggles to get out the door (trust me - they’ll all admit it in between their IG posts), but they for sure have tips and tricks for how they stick to their schedule (around the family, the job, commute, weather, and more). Be a sponge and soak in everything they share.

For me, a good source of info and inspo has been Tim and Jess from BibRave. Hearing their stories of how they found running, the ups and downs with training, how they choose races and tackle new (and ridiculous) distances has helped me realize that even someone who has run 20 Marathons can still struggle to get a run in!

Don’t go it alone

In the end, life is hard enough. Competing priorities and obligations, plus work and family and social stress make each of our daily lives challenging enough. So why not use our resources and join forces, find a crew, and tackle big sh!t together. I’m full of optimism training for the Marathon this time around, and I have my crew and all of YOU to thank for it. I’m told this journey is going to be awesome and ugly and everything in between, and I’d never want to do it alone. Thanks for being here, for following/joining/cheering along with #262squad, and for all the good vibes. We got this!!!